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We’ve all become used to seeing products and services with tie-ins to a media property. Tie-ins are a win-win for both the owners of the original property, who rake in the cash by simply authorising the tie-in, and for the developers or manufacturers of the related products in terms of additional income and increased visibility.
Often, media products, particularly books, films, TV shows and video games, are presented in another popular format with great success. Relative newcomers to the tie-in, the casino industry, is now discovering that they can be extremely beneficial and they’re all-in.
More, please
While land-based casinos were famous for high-roller comps, including free penthouse suites, top-shelf liquor, limousines and even private jets, online casinos are also renowned for their promotional activities. The online casino bonus can come in many forms, but typically they provide free spins, free bets or special reward multipliers for players. Now taking appealing to the customers a step further is the move to securing more and more official licencing deals from popular films and TV shows. This is a clear strategy to entice a new generation of gamers by using what is already familiar and widely enjoyed.
For the players, films and TV shows can’t be watched on repeat forever, but many are reluctant to leave the characters or universe they’ve become so invested in. People want more content and the success of After the Thrones, a Game of Thrones discussion show or What If…?, an in-depth look at key plot arcs and the myriad of characters in the MCU, is clear evidence of this.
For the developers, they are provided with plenty of memorable characters, symbols, sound effects and music that they can use as the basis of a casino game. While some casino games developers squander this opportunity by simply adding some familiar branding to a previous creation, other more reputable developers are able to create games that supplement and enhance the source material.
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What Works?
With casino game tie-ins to films and TV shows, we are generally referring to slots, but that could change. Television game shows have been used effectively with other casino games such as Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Live Roulette and Deal or No Deal Slingo. In the future, it would be unsurprising to see more tie-ins beyond slots, with probable titles like James Bond Baccarat, Teddy “KGB” Poker or The Hangover Blackjack. Yet, for now, slots are the king of the tie-in and there are some unexpected hits.
The Naked Gun is not the first movie tie-in you’d expect to see within the arsenal of slot games for the major online casinos. But it’s proved a hit with those that recall Frank Drebin from the original Police Squad! series and those that are just discovering the delights of the late great Leslie Nielsen. The Terminator series of films is perhaps a more obvious slot tie-in. The Terminator Genisys Slot Game makes full use of the iconic music, characters and even plot points, with a Car Chase Bonus.
The Walking Dead Online Slot is also a good selection for game developers to use locations from the hit show along with fan favourites Glenn, Carl, Michonne, and Rick. It’s one of few slot games to generate an eerie, creepy feel and there’s an abundance of survival items to collect along with the zombie-infested action.
We’ve highlighted a few of the interesting standouts, but the industry is certainly geared towards making far more film and TV show tie-ins. Whatever you enjoy on the big or small screen, chances are they’ll be a casino game out there that can give you another way to interact with your favourite characters and for many, that’s very welcome news.
